Admission

Homeschooled Student Guidelines

At Claremont McKenna College we acknowledge that students engage in a variety of approaches in order to achieve their education goals. Below you will find guidelines to assist homeschooled students in the process of applying to CMC. We encourage you to contact the office directly should you have any questions or need further clarification. If you are applying for admission as an Early Decision or Regular Decision student, you are required to follow regular application procedures. This process begins by completing your application online at www.commonapp.org.

We understand that perhaps you have chosen a non-traditional path to obtain a high school education. For this reason, in addition to the documents required on the Common Application, we ask that you submit the following documentation to assist us in understanding your educational journey.

Diploma/Curriculum Requirement

Please mail a homeschool transcript as organized by a parent, teacher, or educational agency. This record should include coursework information and/or an explanation of curricular approach. We are interested in understanding the philosophic reasons for homeschooling and approaches to obtaining your education. This document can include a description of what was studied, coupled with an annotated reading list (for less-structured curricular approaches).

Standardized Testing Requirement

Any student who applies to Claremont McKenna College must take the SAT or the ACT. Either exam must be taken with the writing section of the exam.

In addition, we ask homeschooled students to take two SAT Subject Tests. The first exam must be in math and the second should be taken in an academic discipline of the student's choosing (such as Foreign Language, History or Science). Individual tests can potentially be waived if college courses have been successfully completed in the disciplines required. Please contact the admission office if you think this is a possibility.

Interview Requirement

In an effort to get to know you better, we highly recommend that students travel to campus and participate in an interview. We also offer the opportunity to interview with our alumni in various cities throughout the country and abroad. If you live in an area where we do not offer alumni interviews, and you are unable to travel to campus, we will overlook this recommendation so long as a good-faith effort has been made.

Recommendation Requirement

We ask that homeschooled students submit four letters of recommendation.

One Counselor Recommendation Letter: preferably from an educational supervisor, but it can be written by a parent.

Two Teacher Recommendation Letters: preferably from those persons who have taught you in an academic subject.

Extracurricular Letter: preferably written by a non-family member who knows you in a social or extracurricular context (examples are peers, clergy members, employers, coaches, etc).

The goal of the Admission Committee is to find the right match for Claremont McKenna College and to admit students who will be successful members of our community. If you would like to submit an extra statement explaining anything that you feel we have not asked, or if you would like to submit supplemental documentation with your application, it is welcome.

If you have any questions regarding your application, feel free to contact our office at (909) 621-8088 or at admission@cmc.edu. We look forward to working with you throughout this process.